Baby sleeping on front

[Polly D]

R is nearly 6 months and has just started rolling over onto his tummy in his cot in the night, and one of his NCT girlfriends has been doing the same. Any advice on whether to turn him over (and so wake him up) or leave him to it and so it becomes just one more thing to worry about in the middle of the night?

This new rolling over thing has also coincided with him waking quite a lot in the night and screaming (having previously slept pretty much through from 7-7 since 3 months). Have read Snowboarder's posts and all sounds rather familiar...am presuming the screaming is teething, though like Belle, no sign of any teeth yet. Lots of fingers in mouth and gagging!

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Polly,

If he is rolling over onto his front to sleep I'd say that is fine, though I'm guessing he can't yet roll himself back again (if so, he will before too long) - that may be why he's waking and crying (is getting a bit 'stuck' on his front). I think most babies choose to sleep on their front once they are capable of turning over.

I've know some parents who have put their babies to sleep on their tummy from birth because it was the only way they would settle (and I have even heard a health professional say that it was OK in one instance, because they were having such issues with getting baby to sleep on its back). So, at 6 months I really wouldn't worry.

Best wishes,

Molly

[Pickle]

I agree with Molly.

My daughter went through a very similar phase of waking and crying on her front, which didn't last long - and now she turns herself onto her front as soon as I put her in her sleeping bag and sleeps really soundly in that position. For now, go and turn him over when he wakes and is upset, but don't worry if he's on his tummy sound asleep.

P x

[Polly D]

Thanks ladies, v useful advice. While you're there...he's also stopped going in his cot for daytime naps. He has never slept for longer than 3 x 30 min naps in the day but, like I said, more or less has slept through since 3 months. But now it's all going bonkers and he screams his head off and will only sleep in the day when in his pram or on the boob. Any suggestiongs?

[Pickle]

No magic answer for that one sorry! Might be that he's teething, in which case BFing will be soothing the pain, and I guess the motion of the pram probably takes his mind of it! Perservere with the cot for naptimes if that's what you want him to do (makes getting things done so much easier if you can get them to sleep at home during the day) and hopefully he'll gradually sort himself out.

[The Nappy Lady]

I agree...sounds like he's just having a hard time with teeth...how long has this change to day time naps been going on for?

They do go through phases, but if he's been happy in his cot in the past I'm sure he will come back to it, just keep trying.

I always try to get my 9 month old down in her cot in the day as she sleeps for much, much longer that way. If in the buggy it is rarely more than 30 minutes, but can be up to 3 or 4 hours at lunchtime if in the cot (usually wake her up after 2 or 3 though or bedtime can become an issue)! But couldn't get her to nap in her cot in the day until she was about 4 months old, so it took a while. Now she seems to love it.

Hope he is better soon, and some little teeth appear to explain it all.

Molly

[Polly D]

3 or 4 hours at lunchtime! Wow!

Thanks again both; will persevere with cot and daytime naps then. My willpower droops massively when screaming starts but will keep trying 'cos otherwise nothing will ever get done.

[The Nappy Lady]

I know - can't believe it myself - my oldest NEVER slept like that in the day. But this one is so busy when awake and does 4 or 5 hour stints awake so I think she just wears herself out trying to keep up with big sister.

If the cot attempt fails you can always resort to buggy or boob, but at least you are trying, and hopefully sooner or later it will 'click in' again. Do you play music at bed/nap time. I think it helps massively if you have a CD which you play in the bedroom whenever putting them down, they really do get to recognise and take it as a cue that it is time to sleep.

Molly